Swan predation ??

[JDHUNTING 1,817]

An otter would be capable of taking out a swan I'd of thought a big dog otter almost definately basically a giant ferret.

[Greyman 25,258]

33 minutes ago, kanny said:

Mink? 

Cheers kanny  that was exactly the sort of thing I was looking for, though I think more likely to be otters as there is a reasonable population of them on the river, though they are very unwelcome on the estate the latest swan was taken from due to it housing one of the country’s best carp waters (clue)

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

I've personally observed how ferrets (Small otters) will start eating a bird at the face.

Perhaps a well fed otter has taken to just snacking on the favoured heads? Are they not so much beloved of anglers, for their predisposition toward just taking favoured bites from large fish?

[kanny 19,387]

44 minutes ago, Greyman said:

Cheers kanny  that was exactly the sort of thing I was looking for, though I think more likely to be otters as there is a reasonable population of them on the river, though they are very unwelcome on the estate the latest swan was taken from due to it housing one of the country’s best carp waters (clue)

 

[Greyman 25,258]

I don’t know if the lad was telling the truth or if he had heard the local story’s and added the cat sighting to his story for effect, but each one I have found has been clearly taken from the land and pulled out before consumption the water is also always shallow less than a couple of feet deep ?? This is only a screen shot as I can’t take a link from it and this is what he found

[TRUEBRIT66 1,176]

'Savage' otter given pride of place in manor grounds despite killing prized swan (telegraph.co.uk)

Hope your well P ? 

There was a Swan at Combwhich ponds the locals named "cyanide" because he was deadly and would attack anything that got close. A otter is now a resident of the ponds and "cyanide" is conspicuous in his absence     

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

Combwich Ponds, in the parish of Otterhampton? You couldn't make shit like that up!

[Greyman 25,258]

11 minutes ago, TRUEBRIT66 said:

'Savage' otter given pride of place in manor grounds despite killing prized swan (telegraph.co.uk)

Hope your well P ? 

There was a Swan at Combwhich ponds the locals named "cyanide" because he was deadly and would attack anything that got close. A otter is now a resident of the ponds and "cyanide" is conspicuous in his absence     

Cheers mate alls good have you got any further with your move yet, I used to have a lake near bridge water and when an otter arrived as well as taking my prized carp he also ate all the geese so otter is a strong candidate at the moment, it’s just the land based attacks I,m struggling to fathom out, sadly I’m on baby sitting duty’s at the moment as I,m sure if something is hunting the margins of the lake in question it will have to leave some footprints along the margins somewhere,

[Greyman 25,258]

1 hour ago, sandymere said:

Prior plausibility is usually the best consideration, find some dead swans consider likely causes. Current bird flu outbreak 

Bird flu kills swans in Warwickshire and Worcestershire

WWW.GOOGLE.COM

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A swan rescue centre shuts after two swans it treated passed the virus on to others.

 

Dead swans scavenged. 

Most likely. 

People killing swans, quite possibly. 

Fox or Otter taken a liking to swans roosting, possibly but less likely. 

Etc, etc.... 

And that’s how I look at each individual case,  many of them fall at the first hurdle but some just have no other explanation other than a large non indigenous predator

[mushroom 12,388]

That wee JRT of mine years ago was a bloody nightmare. He was always after the swans, deer anything he could get hold of tbh. The ex's grandad (old school country bloke) said bring him down to the farm and stick him in with the geese, they'll sort him out

3 dead geese later and he's trying to get a hold of the 4th

That dog was a complete nutter, no fuucks given. 

What I'm trying to say is, if a JRT can pull a swan, surely a fox, feral or Mustlid can too.

[pesky1972 4,927]

As been said, otter could be the culprit, especially at night where I think the odds would swing much more in its favour.

[forest of dean redneck 11,190]

I was going to say otter

[Greyman 25,258]

What I really need is some footprints as mustilids have 5 toes in comparison to most other things,trouble is Everyman and his dog is out at the moment ruining anything left behind, the latest swan was found near a lake that was a former sand pit so hopefully when I get back I may be able to find something if I get in the bush,s and have a good crawl around

[Arry 18,588]

May not apply in this case but several years ago we had on the river Dart an aggressive Cob Swan that killed many other Swans in the spring. Usually by holding the head under water much the same as Duck when mating.

Cheers Arry

[Ratmanwan3 85]

I had a job a couple of years ago where the owner of a lake had seen two mink attack and kiil a swan. 

I would say mink or an otter to do the killing and drag it to the bank to eat,  then maybe a badger or fox scavenging the rest ?